Still Here
by Tournage
Summary: "I kept seeing her, Jodie, standing by that wall. What did that mean? Why did I keep seeing this? ...Where's Jodie?"


Because of all the amazing reviews and demands I got on my last Beyond story, I've made another one!

I'm making this into a full-fledged story, though. This whole thing will most-likely be in Aiden's POV, and this takes place around the end of the game.

Thanks for all the reviews on my last story! You guys are great! ^_^

* * *

I felt a pain in my head.

My eyes opened, but I couldn't see. They stung with a burning sensation. It hurt so bad, I closed them tightly. I clutched my aching head and breathed in sharply at the pain. Suddenly, I started having a coughing fit. Shocked, I opened my eyes instantly.

Ash and dust surrounded by debris, and I saw a figure laying in the distance.

Wait… this looks familiar…

I looked around myself, coughing occasionally, and I realized this is where we all just were; battling the Black Sun. My memories were a bit foggy. I rubbed my head and turned back towards the figure.

Jodie!

I scrambled around on the ground for a minute, for it seemed that I couldn't float like I usually do. This is all too weird… Whatever, I need to help Jodie! I stumbled up to my feet. My balance was terrible, so I kept fumbling. When I maintained a solid composure, I ran to Jodie's laying figure. I could hardly see past the dust, let alone breathe through it. I shielded my face and kept running.

I got closer and closer and- "Ah, what? You?!"

It was fucking Ryan! Where the hell is Jodie?!

I flew my head in all directions, hoping to see her somewhere. That only made my headache increase and it caused me to groan in pain. I grasped and clawed it in the hopes of it leaving. But it only got worse and worse by the second. I felt like puking, but only dry heaves came out. I fell to my knees. Out of nowhere, I guess I started to remember something… I watched this little scene play in my head. I was standing in a field and Jodie was standing in front of me. She was talking to me, but I heard nothing. I felt… nothing… I don't remember this? What the hell? I don't remember this! Why can't I?! My mind went blank and another scene made its way into my head. I wasn't there this time, it was only Jodie. She was facing something… a wall, a giant wall. She was just staring at it. But what's weird is that the wall seems familiar to me… which is double weird since it's a wall… She seemed to be hesitating though, thinking real hard about something…

My mind went blank again and I was back by the unconscious asshole. I crawled up to him and looked at his face. I hate that face…

I grew angry at _him_ for being there and not _Jodie_.

So I drew my arm back and slapped him.

I blinked in surprise and stared at my hand. My eyes were wide and my jaw dropped. Since I'm an ethereal being, I can't make contact with the living. Is he… dead?

I poked at his face some more. He made no signs of feeling it, so he might be dead. I was a little surprised. This was all very strange. My conscience kicked in when I saw him there. He never looked more defenseless. And I knew, if he was really dead, he wouldn't know what the hell to do. He'd be as scared and confused as a little boy lost in a market.

I flipped Ryan over on his side and dug my hands underneath his shoulder. As I did that, I rolled his back unto my arms, lifted up-

aaand right back down he went, hitting the ground with a thud.

I looked at him then to my arms… my noodle arms… and back at him again.

"I blame you, _fatty_."

I tugged at his arms and gradually dragged him out of the area we were in.

My arms were on fire! This guy literally weighs a ton!

I let go of him for a bit to wave my arms around to get a little feeling back in them. I groaned and thought about just leaving him here, but the thought of him knowing something about what happened to Jodie became my goal. I need to find her. I need to make sure she's alright, and I need to find out what those visions were trying to tell me.

I sighed and got back to business. After a while, I brought the both of us out of there and into a lab. I brought Ryan to lean on a wall, and I trudged to the wall opposite and sunk down to a sitting position. I rested my head against the wall after tugging my hood over it. I smiled, thankful that my clothes weren't ruined from anything. Couple burn holes here and there, but nothing bad. I closed my eyes to soothe the ache washing over my whole body. I was so uncomfortable for some reason; I've never felt like this before… I quit thinking as I felt myself drowning in a foreign feeling… I couldn't keep the lids of my eyes open as they felt like anchors weighing down. My whole body felt numb-like.

I've seen this before; Jodie did this multiple times.

Sleep.

I've always wondered what it was like, and now I'm feeling it…

As confused as my brain was, I smiled knowing that… I'm alive…

And… I… slept...

* * *

I kept seeing her, Jodie, standing by that wall. What did that mean? Why did I keep seeing this? ...Where's Jodie?

A sudden pain to the side of my face woke me from my dreams. I let out a pained gasp as my head flew to my right side, my eyes wide open and my hand automatically went to my cheek. I'm new to this feeling of physical pain.

I slowly centered my head and saw Ryan looming over me.

Telling by his clenched fist, he had punched me. He looked at me with wide eyes and I detected fear in them.

He regained his "tough-guy" façade.

"Who the _fuck_ are you?!" He spat at my face. I looked at him, disgusted, and said nothing. He lifted me up by the collar of my shirt, making me stand, and held me up against the wall. I growled lowly and looked at him as if he were now my prey.

He really needs to know his place...

before I fucking put him there...

He stared at me, expecting an answer. I decided to piss him off. I forced a nice smile on my face, though I made my stare as equal as the hate I felt for him. His eyebrows lowered and I would've laughed at how idiotic he looked, but I decided not to. What mattered was Jodie. I needed to know if he knew where she was. I sighed, knowing I'd have to be willingly nice if I wanted his help...

"Ryan..." I started, "Ryan. We need to find her. We need to find Jodie."

And at the mere mention of her name, he slammed me onto the wall. Hard. I let another pained sound come out of my mouth as my back started to ache. He pulled me closer to his face, "WHERE IS SHE!?" I looked at him, squinting my eyes slightly. Are you fucking serious... How can I be nice to an idiot like him?

In a bland voice, I taunted, "If I knew where she was, why the fuck would I try asking you, you fucking meathead."

He only got angrier.

Guess I should work on my people skills, seeing as I'm... alive...

_That's still so weird. _

I closed my eyes to calm myself. "Ok, Ryan, listen. We have to find her. I don't know what happened, but I keep seeing these weird... _visions_ of her. I think something is seriously wrong, here. She did something with the Black Sun, it's gone, but I'm here and she isn't; we have to find out what happened." As I felt his grip on me loosening, I opened my eyes. His expression was that of disbelief. He eyed me intently which made me a bit annoyed and very uncomfortable. I folded my arms and jokingly mumbled, "You better be buying me dinner after this..." He just stared in awe. I rolled my eyes and placed my hands on my hips. He mumbled something, though made a weird expression after it. I placed my hand to my ear, telling him to speak the fuck up. His mumbling increased slightly and he stuttered my name.

"A-Aiden? A-are you r-really..?"

I scoffed, "Finally. Took you long enough... fucking dingus..." He ignored my comment, "H-how are you even... here?" "That's kind of what I wanted to know. At first, I thought you were dead. But I fell asleep. I'm alive... I'm thinking Jodie did something, or maybe the Sun did? I dragged your fat ass out of there because I thought you might of known something, though I guess you don't... Waste of my time..." I shook my head slightly.

He was thinking and looked up at me, "You mentioned visions?"

I crossed my arms again and leaned myself against the wall. "Yeah, two of 'em. First one was me and her in a field. She was talking to me, though I heard absolutely nothing... Other one was her facing a wall and-"

Completely out of nowhere, a sharp pain caused me to clutch my head. I was falling to my knees, though I leaned against to wall so I wouldn't fall all the way. I felt hands on me, trying to pull me up and a voice I recognized as Ryan's. I couldn't make out any of the words. A final vision appeared in my head. It was the same as the other one, though Jodie went through the wall. I know what this means, now...

I gasped and my eyes shot open. I lowered my hands from my head. I noticed Ryan was clutching me, with a confused expression.

I tried to be mean when I said this, though my voice was shaky from that vision, "Get the fuck off of me..."

He noticed the way I sounded, that something bad happened.

That I was scared.

He instantly backed up.

I was still leaning against the wall, nearly touching the ground but not quite. I realized this and slowly raised myself up against the wall, standing straight, yet somehow sagging. I stared at the ground. I felt Ryan's gaze on me.

"T-the wall... I can't believe I forgot what it was... Jodie... she went through it..." I looked up at Ryan, mouth gaping and making the motions of a fish. He had no clue what I was saying, though he looked frightened. "That wall is the boundary between this world, the living... and the other... the entities..."

I grew angry.

"She went through that boundary, Ryan!"

I became hysterical, pointing towards the Black Sun's room. The room _we all_ were just in...

"The boundary between the living and the dead! She's fucking gone, man!"

I felt myself simmer down slightly as I found that I was right in his face. I couldn't tell if he was shocked by my sudden outburst, or for the news I gave him. Both, more or less.

"That explains why I'm here..."

I turned away from him and continued pacing. I heard him speak up, so I turned a little in his direction.

"So, her life... in exchange for... yours? How does that work? Did you _plan _on taking her life?!"

I shook my head instantly, "Of course not! Like I knew this shit would happen?" My voice was just barely above a whisper. "Jodie is my _sister_."

His angry expression eased, so I let myself continue.

"We shared the same life, and she never knew. She never knew that I was her..._ her dead_ brother. That I couldn't just... leave..." I paused.

"The reason why I was an entity is because I was stillborn. I remember my mom calling out for her baby boy..."

I wiped a singer tear that rolled down my cheek. I was surprised at my sudden change in attitude and emotion. I felt a heavy pain in my chest and my breathing became a bit irregular.

These emotions never occurred to something like _me_.

The... something that I _was_...

I looked up at Ryan, trying to say something, but there was a tightness in my throat that constricted me from speaking. I heard my strained voice whimper apologies to Jodie.

Wherever she was, I was only hoping she could hear them..._  
_


End file.
